Search form

Bernstein the Humanitarian

Leonard Bernstein was an active advocate for peace and nuclear disarmament throughout his life. Through music, video, photos, and spoken word, we honor Bernstein, the humanitarian.

On Friday, January 19, 1973, the eve of Richard Nixon’s second inauguration, Bernstein conducted “A Concert for Peace” at Washington National Cathedral. The piece was Haydn’s Mass in Time of War. The concert began at 9:00 pm – the exact time that inaugural concerts were scheduled to begin at the Kennedy Center. Bernstein and the Cathedral staff welcomed an overflowing audience of nearly 18,000 people in the building and on the lawn. The concert was a plea for peace in a turbulent time.

Next Concert

Written as Mozart approached death, his Requiem provides profound moments of great vastness and sublime tenderness. Centered on the theme of light, Morten Lauridsen’s “non-liturgical requiem” emanates hope, reassurance, and serenity.